PURA Grants Monroe Participant Status In Eversource Investigation

MONROE, CT — The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has granted Monroe's motion to obtain participant, or intervenor, status in their investigation into Eversource's preparation and response to Tropical Storm Isaias. The approval came Thursday.

Last week, First Selectman Kellogg directed Monroe's town attorney to file the motion to intervene. "It is critically important that the experiences and concerns of Monroe residents are heard, loud and clear, during the PURA investigation," said Kellogg.

In granting Monroe's motion, PURA recognized that the town's direct experience with the response will assist PURA in investigating Eversource's performance. Monroe is permitted to submit evidence, interrogatories, and file briefs in the investigation.

Accordingly, Monroe has since established a web page whereby Monroe residents, businesses, and property owners impacted by Tropical Storm Isaias may submit comments regarding the Eversource response. All comments will be submitted, along with those already received earlier this month, as testimony to PURA.

Monroe experienced significant impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias on Aug. 4, resulting in power outages impacting over 80 percent of the town and over 100 locations of blocked roadways. Power was not fully restored to all Monroe residents until Aug. 13.

While not minimizing the storm's impact, several municipal leaders throughout the state shared Kellogg's concerns regarding the insufficient Eversource response. Those insufficiencies, included, without limitation, inadequate resources, unexplained departures from the immediate deployment of "make safe" crews to expedite clearing of roadways, and the provision of minimal crucial information to designated liaisons to Monroe's Emergency Operations Center, resulting in an overall inability to effectively coordinate restoration efforts with town officials, according to Kellogg.